Grand father of Imam Abu
Hanifa was from Kabul. He embraced Islam and migrated to Kufa and
with him he brought his son Thabit – father of Imam Abu Hanifa –
who was a merchant selling cloths. Abu Hanifa also became merchant
selling cloths. Instead of depending on someone else for livelihood
he set his foot firm on the ground.
Zuhud and Contentment
More than two hundred thousand
dirhams were inherited from his father, but Imam Abu Haneefa kept
only for thousand dirhams for himself. There was a narration of Ali
bin Abi Talid that “four thousand dirhams are sufficient for
someone to live on”. So Imam Abu Hanifa considered it useless to
keep more than that. Rest was spent on poor peoples, poor students
and on other means. Imam Abu Hanifa's monthly expenditure was two
dirhams a month. This shows his asceticism and pity. As he was a
cloth seller, he used to wear luxurious cloths and perfumes. He
always go out well dressed.
Knowledge
Imam Abu Hanifa had great
debating skills. It was reported that Imam Malik said regarding Imam
Abu Hanifa: “I saw a man who is able to convince you that a wooden
column is made of Gold”. He is very knowledgable both in Quran and
Hadith. Imam Abu Hanfia was the best memorizer of Hadith in Kufa. He
was taught by four thousand teachers and he used to write down many
prophetic sayings.
Most of the people who
criticized Imam Abu Hanifa was unaware of his status. Once Abdullah
ibn Mubaarak, a great Imam was with Imam al Awza'i in Beirut. Imam al
Awza'i called Abdullah ibh Mubaarak by saying “O Abdullah ibn
Mubaarak the Khurasani, who is the innovator who appeared in you city
of Kufa, who is called Abu Hanifa?” Abdullah ibn Mubaarak said he
kept quit and went home and stayed there for three days. During this
three days he had been choosing good questions discussed by Imam Abu
Hanifa, wote them out using Abu Hanifa's full name – An-Nu'man bin
Thabit. He wrote it in a letter, put it up his sleeves and went to
mosque. He was the caller of the prayer and Imam of the mosque. Imam
al Awza'i was one of the great scholar of Salaf, who used to declare
the truth, enjoin good and forbi evil. When some news reached him
about Imam Abu Hanifa, it made him dislike him. Al-Awzai asked to see
the message Ibn Mubaarak had, and he read some of the paper after
establishing the call for prayer. He then offered the prayer and
after he returned to read the whole letter, he asked about Nu'man ibn
Thabit and praised his was of replying questions and he urged Ibn
Mubaarak to follow him as he was good. So Ibn Mubaarak told him it
was Abu Hanifa whom he had told him to avoid.
Once Imam Al-Awzai met Imam
Abu Hanifa durin the Hajj. They debated about some religious
questions, most of which had been in the letter of Abdullah ibn
Mubaarak. Imam Abu Hanifa explained many things that were not
mentioned in the message. At the end Imam Awza'i was asked about Imam
Abu Hanifa, he responded by saying that he like him for the great
knowledge and intelligence which he possessed.
Etiquettes towards the
teacher: How he followed his teacher Abu Hammad
Sister of Imam Abu Hammad
reported that Nu'man bin Thabit (Abu Hanifa) would comb their cotton
and buy them whatever they needed. Imam Abu Hanifa played the role of
a cotton ginner by ginning and combing their cotton for no penny. To
let his Sheikh rest, Imam Abu Hanifa also do his shopping and he
continued to serve Imam Abu Hammad and studied under him for about
ten years. Although Imam Abu Hanifa joined the study circle late,
Imam Hammad liked him very much. He was also made teacher, so that he
coud take his place whenever he was absent. Imam Abu Hanifa was
appointed by the people of Kufa in the place of Imam Hammad when he
died.
Politeness, decency and
patience
Imam Abu Hanifa is known for
his politeness, decency and patience. Once a man came to Imam Abu
Hanifa's lesson in the mosque of Kufa with an opinion of Hassan bin
Ali, the grand son of Prophet Muhammed S.A.W. Imam Abu Hanifa ruled
out that the opinion is wrong. The man got furious in unacceptable
manner and spoken to Imam Abu Hanifa. Even he insulted mother of Abu
Hanifa just because he said that Al-Hassan bin Ali's opinion is
wrong. Students of Abu Hanifa and his friends were about to beat him,
but Abu Hanifa did not allow them to do so. Rather Abu Hanifa
clarified that Hassan bin Ali was mistaken and the opinion of
Abdullah bin Masood was correct.
God-Consciousness
and fearing Allah
One another occasion when Imam
Abu Hanifa was giving a lesson in the mosque of Kufa, a man stood up
and insulted him by calling him heretic and sanctimonious. Imam Abu
Hanifa responded him by saying “May Allah forgive us both, Allah
know I am not like what you have said about me, and I have nerver
wronged anyone as far as I know through the fear of Allah. I ony see
His reward and fear His punishment”. Imam Abu Hanifa burst into
tears on remembering punishment of Allah. The man was embarrassed and
sought Abu Hanifa's forgiveness, so he forgave him.
Piety
As mentioned above Imam Abu
Hanifa is a merchant selling cloths. So when he sent garments in a
caravan, he told the man in charge to show the defects in the
garments and tell the one who buys about the defects. When the man
returned, he asked the if he had shown the defects he had found. The
man forgot to show the defect. So Imam Abu Hanifa gave all the thirty
thousand dirhams profit which he got from it in charity in order to
avoid anything which is doubtful of its lawfulness.
Reference
